title: Gluco and galacto-oligosaccharides in food: update on health effects and relevance in healthy nutrition.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Much of the recent research literature in the field of prebiotics is on galacto-oligosaccharides. Gluco-oligosaccharides represent an interesting emerging class of candidate prebiotics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Recent research on galacto-oligosaccharides has shown that these can have a positive impact on immunity, calcium absorption and markers of metabolic syndrome. The fact that galacto-oligosaccharides and gluco-oligosaccharides are enzymatically manufactured means that novel forms have been produced, and preliminary evaluation looks to be encouraging.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Galacto-oligosaccharides are rapidly gaining an impressive weight of evidence for health effects in humans. The field will generate novel molecules, which may be considered as prebiotics in the future.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, The University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, UK.
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Rastall
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D064307:Microbiota; D009752:Nutritional Status; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry*; D056692:Prebiotics / Q000032:analysis; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
chemical_list: D009844:Oligosaccharides; D056692:Prebiotics